


Of Courage and Power

by orphan_account



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe, Fate & Destiny, Friendship/Love, M/M, One-Sided Relationship
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-26
Updated: 2016-01-20
Packaged: 2018-04-17 08:10:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4659159
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In another iteration of Hyrule, the destinies of its people are governed by the Will of the Three, a mysterious tome granted to the peoples of Hyrule from the three goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore. Two friends, Link and Ganon, are forever bound by destiny and in ways that they never wanted to be. When they come of age, an old battle between power and courage forces them to fight for the fate of Hyrule.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. An Unlikely Story

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fanfiction after years of not writing it. Eventually, this fic WILL be explicit and may potentially have non-con in later chapters.

_ Long ago, the three goddesses, Din, Nayru, and Farore, created the land of Hyrule. To the south lay the great ocean, powerful waves crashed onto picturesque shores and it was here that the aquatic Zora made their home. To the east were the towering mountains, harsh conditions for most of the beings in Hyrule, but the Goron were not your usual beings. They made themselves one with the land and were blessed for it with an abundance of rocks for nourishment and the gift of hot springs to rejuvenate their hard bodies. In the heart of the land was fertile soil, sweet and nourishing for crops of all kinds. It was here that the Hylians sprung up and found their roots. They paid tribute to their goddesses by building the Temple of Destiny deep in the forests which enshrined the mystical Will of the Three. Contained within the mysterious tome was the destiny of every single person in the land and it was customary for those of age to approach the Will and read their destiny. By the Will of the Three, a royal family was established and moved north to claim the lands as their home, creating an alliance with the royal families of the Zora and the Goron. _

_But one group despised the notion of a pre-written destiny - the Gerudo of the Western deserts. Theirs was a harsh life - bands of different Gerudo tribes warred amongst each other for what little grew in the desert. The days were unbearably hot and the nights freezing cold. It was they that did not believe in fate until finally, the destined man was born amongst them, and it was he who unified the tribes and led them east to claim what was rightfully theirs. The Gerudo’s conquest brought war against the rest of the peoples of Hyrule, a long and terrible battle that took many lives until finally, a hero clad in green rose above and defeated the Gerudo champion. After the fall of their leader, the Gerudo were pushed back to their desert home and a mistrust of their kind has lasted until this day._

[~~~*~~~]

“Link! Link, wake up!” A high-pitched voice screamed into the farmhand’s ear. The young man opened his sapphire eyes groggily and blinked at the young girl eagerly staring him in the face. “Go~od morning, Link! Dad says breakfast is ready!” His boss’s daughter, Malorin, climbed down from his bed, her long brown hair trailing after her.

“Okay, thanks,” Link replied lazily as he sat up and stretched his muscular arms over his head. “I’ll be right there.” He offered her a small smile and playfully ruffled her hair before she giggled and ran back to the kitchen. Being a farmhand was simple living for him - his room was sparsely furnished and his clothes were as simple as the life he led. He changed out of his sleep attire to a white flax tunic and loose brown pants that came down to his shins, finishing his outfit off with a belt over his tunic and his sandals, well-worn but reliable. His hand went to his blond hair, still messy from sleep. As there were no mirrors in his room, Link headed to the washroom so that he could wash his face and fix his hair in the small mirror that hung above the smooth wooden basin. Once satisfied with his appearance, he followed after Malorin into the kitchen.

“Mornin’, Link!” His boss, Talorin, greeted him heartily as he placed a plate of eggs and bacon before his excited daughter. Talorin was a stout, short man but kindly, laughed easily, and worked hard, making him one of the more respectable men in the village of Teragos. Sitting across the table from Malorin was the other farmhand, Ingo, who was the polar opposite of Talorin. Where Talorin was short and husky, Ingo was tall and lanky; where Talorin was amicable and had an easy-going face, Ingo constantly wore a scowl and tended to say nasty things about the other villagers whenever it was just he and Link working.

“Morning, boss. Morning, Ingo,” Link returned the greeting and sat down, ruffling Malorin’s hair again. She giggled and beamed up to Link while Ingo sat there with that scowl on his face. It seemed impossible for him to wake up on the right side of the bed. Talorin set a plate before him and he got right down to eating, shoveling all of the food into his mouth hastily.

“Woah, woah. Slow down there, Link. You’re going to choke on something,” Talorin laughed as he seated himself down with his plate in front of him. Link looked up to him with wide eyes and stuffed, puffed-out cheeks before he swallowed hard and offered a sheepish smile. “You’re usually not _this_ eager for work. Don’t tell me you intend to see that Ganon boy after you’re done.”

“You’re gonna go see Ganon, Link? Can I go, dad? _Please_?” The young Malorin pleaded with her father.

“That boy is nothing but trouble. That damn filth is a lazy, good-for-nothing-”

“Ingo, that is enough,” Talorin cut in firmly. “I won’t have that kind of talk in my house and especially not in front of Malorin,” he reprimanded his older farmhand firmly before he turned to his younger one. “Link, I know you’re almost of age so I don’t have any right to tell you this, but Ingo does have a point. He’s-”

“Not a bad guy, boss,” Link finished his sentence and continued to eat. “He’s my friend and he doesn’t cause any trouble. You both know that.” This was just one of the many times that he had to defend his childhood friend. Though there were other boys Link’s age, there was something about Ganon that drew Link to him. He was charismatic, independent, and one of the strongest in the entire village. On top of that, Ganon was more than willing to teach Link a thing or two about combat. The only problem was that Ganon was Gerudo - tanned skin and fiery red hair. He even had a tattoo of the symbol of the Gerudo tribe on his upper right arm, but Link personally never saw a problem. Ganon wasn’t the type to go around warring against others like typical members of his heritage might. “Anyway, thanks for breakfast. I’m gonna go get a head start.” Link put his breakfast dishes into the sink and headed outside.

Talorin’s farm was a quiet, humble farm; he raised just enough to sell in the market and had enough left over to eat. Like many of the other farmers in the area, he raised both crops and livestock - namely cuccos and cows. As for the entire village of Teragos, it was an idyllic place, one of the many small villages that dotted the forest. It was small compared to the largest one, Kakariko, which was the second largest Hylian trading port second to Castle Town in the north. But this place suited Link just fine. It had everything he needed - shade and breeze when it was hot, silence when it was time to sleep, an abundance of delicious food, and everyone who resided in the town was very kind. It was the only family he ever knew.

Outside of farming there wasn’t much to do - Uriki ran a small general store and would often work with the traders that passed through on their way to Kakariko. There was also an eccentric fisherman, Georgi, who lived in town and spent the whole day at the nearby river, catching prized Teragos trout but never kept any for himself. Instead he would either put them all into a big pot to stew or roast them over an open fire so that he could share his catch with the other villagers. As for the boys that were Link’s age, all of them were farmhands just like he was, living the same idyllic life their parents and fellow villagers led. While this was all fine with Link, sometimes he craved adventure, which was where Ganon came in.

Link scolded himself for spacing off and immediately went to the animals, where they would no doubt need to be fed and cleaned. He started with the barn so that he could see his absolute favorite animal - a beautiful bay colored horse with a white mane and tail, his trusted steed, Epona. It seemed that she was quite happy to see him too, whinnying in her pen as Link approached her. “Morning, Epona… That’s a good girl,” he spoke to her gently and stroked her snout, burying his face into it with a smile. She smelt of hay and entirely warm to the touch, something that soothed him but she pulled away, nipping at him impatiently. “Alright, alright. I got it, you’re hungry,” Link chuckled and went to fetch her bag of oats. He set to feeding and cleaning the animal pens, leaving the cucco house for Ingo to clean and gather the eggs. “I’ll be back, alright? We’ll go riding with Ganon and Hades.” He knew that they were kindred spirits - just like he, Epona loved to gallop through the Hyrule fields racing against Ganon and his mighty destrier, Hades. She neighed in agreement and nipped him playfully before Link left to continue the rest of his chores.

The pumpkins and the radishes were just about ready to harvest but Talorin said to give it a few more days. He intended to take those crops up to Castle Town instead of Kakariko along with some cattle; there were better deals in Castle Town and since it was almost Link’s coming-of-age, he wanted to get something really special for his young farmhand. He had never been to Castle Town before and always wondered what it looked like. Malorin dreamed of seeing all of the knights in shining armor and even Princess Zelda, who was rumored to be the most beautiful maiden in all of the land. Until then, all he could do was simply weed and water the crops so that they could continue to take in nutrients from the ground.

Once the chores were done, he headed back inside to grab his training sword along with his bow and arrows. “Talorin!” Link called to his boss once he was back outside. “I’m gonna be going now!” He told him as he began to saddle up Epona, whose tail swayed back and forth as she patiently waited.

“Did you finish all your chores?”

“Yes, sir,” Link nodded firmly as he led Epona out of her stable.

“Alright. Make sure you boys don’t get into any trouble.” Link nodded and ignored the ugly glare that Ingo threw at him as he walked out of the farm and in the direction of Ganon’s house at the outskirts of the village.

[~~~*~~~]

As Link made his approach, he could already hear the sounds of his friend training against one of the wooden dummies that he had crafted. Even though he was without formal training, Ganon was awfully good at a lot of things, especially when it involved his hands. Due to being an outcast, he lived in a humble cottage near the outskirts of Teragos with a small farm of his own and his mighty horse, Hades. Just as he rounded the corner, Link’s lips turned up into a smile as he saw his friend, already sweaty and golden eyes focused on his target.

“Hey!” He called and leaned heavily against the fence that bordered his property. “Why don’t you fight against a real opponent?” This caught his friend’s attention who merely laughed and turned to him with a cheeky smile.

“You? _Please_ ,” Ganon laughed as he stuck his swords into the ground. “If I wanted a real opponent, I could just keep fighting these dummies.” He flipped his long red ponytail over his shoulder and laughed. “You finally finished with your chores, farmhand?” Link nodded as he jumped over the fence, Epona quietly grazing on the other side. “Took you long enough. I was beginning to think that you were never going to finish.” Ganon’s garb bore unusual patterns, clothing that he figured was typical of Gerudo though he had put a more Hylian flare to it - his clothing was loose and bound together with a waistband around his stomach. While the left side of his tunic came down just before his elbow, his right side was cut short so that he could proudly display the Gerudo crest on his arm. In the center of his forehead was a strange yellow gem, the same color as his eyes, set into a studded headpiece. No matter how many times Link asked him about the headpiece, Ganon would only laugh and never give him a clear answer.

“Well if _someone_ would help me around Talorin’s farm, I could be done with chores much faster and we could be out in the fields racing or fighting much sooner,” Link rolled his eyes, to which Ganon laughed and whistled for his horse. His destrier, Hades, obediently came at his call already saddled and ready to go.

“You know I have better things to do than simple farm work,” he answered the Hylian as he swung himself up and over in one graceful move. “C’mon, Link. Get a move on, the day isn’t getting any younger!” Ganon laughed as he galloped off down the path. Link flashed a smile as he too leapt onto Epona and followed after him.

Hades was always a more powerful horse; even if he was bigger than Epona, he could usually out-gallop her should his rider have the mind to push him. “Ganon! Wait up!” Link called after him as the trees rushed past him before they suddenly opened up to the wide blue sky and miles of grass as far as the eye could see. The wind ruffled through his hair and he could see ahead that Ganon’s ponytail trailed behind him. There was something so graceful about the Gerudo even though he was big and solidly built…

Now wasn’t the time to be thinking about this! Link realized that Ganon had turned Hades with his bow drawn and a blunted arrow loaded. He fumbled for his own bow and arrows while keeping an eye on his opponent. Ganon loosed the arrow with a smirk on his lips, watching as it flew directly towards Link, who urged Epona to go faster, barely missing it as it whiffed against his back. He slowed Hades down and loaded another arrow. “You’re too slow, farmhand!” Ganon teased him, his yellow eyes lit with excitement as he took his aim once more.

Epona couldn’t run forever. In his adrenaline-fueled haste, Link let an arrow fly, completely missing Ganon who didn’t even blink at it. “You can do better than that!” Ganon laughed, lowering his bow as Hades slowed to a stop. There! Link charged the other and fired an arrow that hit him square in the chest. A wicked smirk appeared on the Gerudo’s lips as he extracted his dual blades from the saddle and leapt off, challenging Link to combat. Link returned the smirk and extracted his own sword to take a flying leap at Ganon who stood his ground and waited for the perfect chance to strike.

Metal clashed against metal as the swing connected but it was Ganon who was faster with his second blade. With his right side open, he had to take a whack to the side from the flat end of Ganon’s blade, pulling away to regain himself. Even if it was the flat end, it had knocked some air out of Link but there was no time for that. Ganon advanced, one blade after another, forcing Link to parry all of his blows. He was moving backwards and Ganon rarely ever had any openings for him to exploit.

With one powerful, final slash, Ganon knocked Link’s blade out of his hand where it spun out of control before landing on the grass a distance away from them. “You lose,” Ganon announced breathlessly as he slashed his sword in front of him, that same persistent smirk on his lips.

“Yeah, well… I managed to hit you in the shoulder,” Link pouted as he went to fetch his sword. He saw that Hades and Epona were grazing peacefully together as the wind blew through their manes and tail. Both of them really seemed to like it out here and who could blame them? It was wide, open land with clean air billowing more so than through the forest.

“In the left shoulder. Sorry, but not everyone can be left-handed like you,” Ganon teased as he stuck his blades into the ground and fell back into the grass where he let out a slow sigh of relief. It was obvious that Ganon liked it here much more than in his dull cottage in Teragos. “My dominant arm still would have been alright if that arrow was real.” Link joined him, sitting down on the grass and looked up at the sky. It was such a vibrant shade of blue and the clouds were pure white and fluffy like cotton.

“Whatever. You’re a cheater with your two blades,” he answered with a pout.

“Then you should get something to protect your right side. Maybe another blade or even a shield,” Ganon advised and looked to his friend, his gaze lazy. “Talorin said that he’s going to be taking you to Castle Town, right? Maybe you can find something there.” Link looked down and met his friend’s eyes with a guilty look. “What?”

“It’s just… I’m not going to be there when you get to read from the Will,” he replied quietly.

“Eh, it’s fine, Link. You get to go to Castle Town! Can you imagine if my destiny is to become a royal guard? Maybe I’ll even be able to defend Princess Zelda!” Ganon laughed as he sat up, shaking out his ponytail of any loose blades of grass. “What about you? What are you hoping for?”

Link shrugged, “Maybe just a nice, peaceful life on a farm. I don’t have that same drive to get out of Teragos like you do.” Of course he didn’t, he was a Hylian. It was where he belonged. Ganon was an outcast far from home - it didn’t surprise Link that Ganon hoped to leave.

“That’s so like you,” he laughed at the other’s answer. “But you always liked coming out here with me. Maybe you’ll be destined to be a knight too.” Ganon shrugged. “When are you coming back?”

“On my birthday, one day after you read the Will.” That one day made Ganon think that he was a little more superior than him. He supposed that for this birthday that was certainly the case. “Did you want anything from Castle Town?” Ganon flashed him a smile and shook his head.

“No, I don’t need anything.”

“I didn’t ask you if you need anything. I’m asking if you want something,” Link pouted.

“I know, I’m just teasing you. You don’t have to get me anything.” Out of the corner of his eye, Link spotted the sunlight reflect off of the gem in Ganon’s headpiece and wondered if they sold anything like that in the market.

“Fine. If you insist,” Link pouted and dropped the subject.

[~~~*~~~]

A few days later the crops were loaded into the covered wagon, the cuccos were caged properly and everything was just about ready to go. It would be about a day’s walk to Castle Town and Malorin was quite excited, running around happily. To be honest, Link shared in some of her excitement, eager to see what else lay beyond Hyrule Fields. Ingo was to stay behind and watch the farm while they were gone and for once, seemed quite happy that he was being left alone. Link was brushing Epona’s mane, his stead already hitched up to the wagon, when he heard a familiar whistle. “Hey, farmboy!” He turned his head to see Ganon leaning against the fence. He was glad that he could see his friend before he left.

“Ganon!” Link jogged over to the fence with a small smile. “Come to see me off?” He asked with a sly smirk. “Don’t tell me you’re going to miss me.”

“Naw, I just came to say goodbye to Epona. I’m not going to miss looking at your face,” Ganon teased as he stood upright and flipped his hair over his shoulder. He laughed at the pout on Link’s lips and then looked to Epona, a small smile left on his lips. “... I am gonna miss you, Link. This’ll be the first time we’re actually separated.” Link raised a brow and tilted his head to the side.

“Hey, you’re not getting misty-eyed nostalgic on me, are you?” He teased him but noticed that strange, distant look in his eyes. He couldn’t tell if Ganon was sad about something though due to that strange smile he wore.

“No but I have something I wanted to tell you-”

“Link! Are you ready?” Talorin called as he emerged from the cucco house, one last cucco in his arms.

“Uhh, yeah, boss!” He called back, looking over his shoulder. “Sorry about that, Ganon, what was it that you were about to-” When he looked back forward, his friend was nowhere to be seen. “Ganon…?”

“Link! Let’s go!” He had no choice but to pull away from the fence, wondering what was on his friend’s mind. Somehow, he had the feeling he would never really know.

 

 


	2. Power's Destiny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And you thought this fic was scrapped lololol.
> 
> WARNING: Scenes of semi-graphic violence at the end of the chapter.

This was the first time Ganon had ever been separated from his friend and it was just _awful_. There was no one to tease and definitely no one to spar with! If it wasn't for the fact that his turn to read the Will was coming up soon, Ganon would have simply saddled Hades and rode off as far away as he could from the forest. He had no choice but to wait for his friend to come back so that they could share their destinies with each other.

His days would begin at sunrise where he would eat a modest breakfast before mounting up and riding off into Hyrule Field to train alone. He would race Hades in laps around the field, using a small hourglass as his gauge, or once in a very great while, he would even race a speedy mailman wearing the ears of something called a “bunny”. He had never seen nor heard of such a creature but it must have been amazingly fast because even his mount had a difficult time keeping up with the mailman. By mid-day, he would let Hades rest and fight the monsters that occasionally appeared. With his swords, he would slice through octoroks and oozing slimes while he would shoot down large flying peahats with his bow and arrows. His martial skills made him wonder if perhaps he would be a mercenary, defending traveling merchants from monsters and bandits for a bit of rupees. At least that way, Ganon thought to himself, he could see different parts of the world and meet all sorts of different people while putting his skills to use in a productive way.

Once the sun began to tug the light away from the sky, it was a signal to Ganon that he should return to the safety of the forest. He had grown up on tales of evil things that rose from the ground at night, attacking anyone foolish enough to leave the safety of civilization. But now that he was almost a man, he wondered if that was simply just a silly tale adults told children so that they would behave and not run away from home at night. He wondered what Link thought of those fairytales, raised on the same stories that he was. Link was such a practical boy but he remembered that sometimes those tales had frightened him when he was younger.

How was his friend, the Gerudo wondered as he flopped down onto his bed for the night. Many of the nights were spent lying awake, thinking of his blond Hylian friend and how he was faring in Castle Town. A farmhand like him would no doubt be thrilled by the size of the town and the sight of Hyrule Castle looming overhead must be a splendid one. _‘Link is the lucky one,’_ he thought as his golden eyes stared vacantly at the ceiling, his hands folded under his head. _‘He’s the one who knows his place in the world.’_ Link had everything – a good life, a family that cared about him, and everyone in town seemed to like him for his quiet, polite tone. But Ganon? Where was a Gerudo’s place but in the harsh desert? They were shunned though he never exactly knew why. He wasn’t a _bad_ guy – sure he played a prank here or there but that was when both he and Link were younger, running around Teragos Village while someone yelled at them for spooking their cuccos or tipping a cow over. It was never anything bad and yet there was always the feeling that he was being held at arm’s length by all of the villagers save for Link. As the day drew near, Ganon pleaded with the universe that his destiny would take him far away from this dull place and into a position of glory.

~~~*~~~

The Temple of Destiny was about half a day’s ride from Teragos. To get there, one would have to take the path out of Kakariko Village through the tunnel of trees whose branches let light into the well-traveled path. On his birthday, Ganon saddled Hades well before the sun rose, not even apologizing to his miffed horse that it was too early to be awake. The Gerudo set a hard pace for the horse as they thundered through the forest, adrenaline the only thing keeping the sleepless Ganon going. For his horse, it would be just another day but for Ganon, this was where he finally learned where his place in the world was.

By the time they arrived at the temple, there were many others who were waiting to read the Will. Ganon’s appearance turned many heads but he paid no mind, his eyes instead inquisitively locked on the rocky, boulder-like forms of the Gorons and the graceful aquatic forms of the Zoras who were waiting in line.

“A Gerudo?” He heard some whisper.

“I thought they didn’t believe in the Will.” Others stipulated quietly.

But none of that mattered to him. Everything felt so fresh and so new that he was hardly able to believe that this was still in the same forest. The lofty treetops towered over the white stone structure, both its foreign architecture and material were a sight that Ganon had never seen before. All of the structures in the forest, including in Kakariko, were made simply of wood and thatch. Not even glass was a material that was used in Hylian architecture and yet he could see that there was beautifully colored glass that served as the windows.

And the people! Even the Hylians were new, having never seen them before. Perhaps they were from Kakariko or even Castle Town! Both the Gorons and Zoras were staring at him with dark, deep, beady eyes and Ganon stared right back – they were all so _fascinating_! He had never seen such foreign looking creatures and though he had heard stories, it was another thing to actually see them in motion. The bulging muscles of Gorons far outsized his own and he supposed that their craggy back was the shield that he had heard of with their ability to roll up into an almost unstoppable boulder. And the sleek forms of the Zoras looked very hydrodynamic, able to slice through the water at high speeds with their fins, sure that their slender forms begat a different form of strength from the bulky Gorons.

Luckily the line wasn’t terribly long with seven or so people in front of him so he took his place at the back of the line and waited impatiently. He had tied Hades’ reins to a nearby tree in the sunny clearing and watched his horse pass the time lazily by nipping at a low hanging branch or digging at the ground with a mighty hoof seemingly just as bored as his owner.

Once he was near the front of the line, Ganon noticed that above the mighty double doors of the temple was a bold symbol of a giant triangle with three smaller triangles enshrined within the greater. _‘Triforce’_ was the word that popped into his head when he saw it though he had never seen nor heard of the symbol before in the tiny village where he hailed from. And once he was second in line, he noticed the shrunken old attendant that was ushering the people in. He wore a white robe with a purple tabard over it, the symbol of the Triforce on his chest. Ganon couldn’t help but wonder what the symbol meant and why it was so important-

“A- _hem_.” Ganon was brought out of his thoughts by the attendant, who he towered over. “If you’ll come this way, it’s your turn to read the Will.” Though he could tell that the old man was speaking through gritted teeth, Ganon ignored it. He steeled himself and strode through the doors into the temple.

The interior of the temple put him into a state of quiet awe as he walked down the crimson red runway carpet that led to the Will of the Three resting reverently on a wooden podium that bore the Triforce. White stone columns on either side lined the pathway and between each column was a stained glass depicting what appeared to be some sort of war. As Ganon drew closer and closer to the mighty tome he could feel something within the temple, something powerful and mighty but no words came to him this time. Nothing in the temple looked as though it could be the source of this power, not even the tome itself so Ganon pushed the thought away as he finally found himself before the tome. Behind the podium was a giant stone statue of three women caressing the Triforce, each with their own distinct appearances. _‘These Hylians really do love their Triforce don’t they?’_ Ganon thought to himself when he realized nearly everything had been emblazoned with the symbol.

Above the statue were three giant stained glass panels depicting the three women who were caressing the stone Triforce. In the middle was a fiery pale woman whose long, red hair was pulled up into a high ponytail that trailed after her as she danced. Something about the pane struck Ganon as wrong though, something was off about her. Was it her pale skin or her blue eyes…? Even her clothing seemed _modest_ for a belly dancer such as herself with her long red robes covering nearly every inch of her skin. However, it was not his place to question the appearance of a nameless woman in a window and returned his attention to the tome. For a book that held the destinies of every single person in the land, it wasn’t a terribly thick book. It was bound with leather and possessed gold plated accents that still shone as though it were just handed down to the Hylians from the hands of the goddesses themselves. It was almost too beautiful to touch but Ganon collected himself and reached out for the book…

Only to have it fly open, mysterious winds within the temple whirling around him and blew the book open. What was happening? He used his arms to shield himself from the winds and heard the book fly open, pages violently flipping before finally, everything went still. What the hell!? Ganon lowered his arms and released a breath he never realized that he had been holding, drawing close to read the page that the winds had stopped on. The pages… The pages were blank? Was this a joke? But once he was standing over the book, words slowly formed on the pages in bold writing.

~~~*~~~

_The prodigal son thought to have been lost to the ages_

_He who will become the king of his people_

_Will wash the Western sands over the land once more_

_Power and Courage intertwined as they once were_

_And always will be_

~~~*~~~

Ganon stood there dumbfounded, staring at his destiny with a blank expression. What did _any_ of that _mean_!? Was everyone’s destinies that obscure!? How did _anyone_ know what to do if their readings were all that esoteric and vague!? Before he even had the chance to regain his composure, the back of his right hand gave out a flash of light and when it faded away, he saw the golden mark of the Triforce gently pulsating. Something told Ganon that this was not something the book handed out so freely. When he looked closer, he could see that while he had the entire outline glowing on his hand, only the top triangle was brightly lit while the bottom two triangles had a dull glow. He was startled when the book closed as mysteriously as it had opened with a reverberating slam.

“A-hem.” Ganon whipped around to the attendant, his hands held behind his back. The short man hardly looked phased, as though none of that freaky stuff had happened. “If you are done, you can see that there are many other people waiting.” He didn’t like that condescending tone that the attendant was talking at him with but when his eyes rested on the tabard, he realized that perhaps this grumpy little man could be his only hope to finding out what this symbol on his hand meant.

“Old man,” he didn’t hold back any shots. “I need to know what that symbol means… The _Triforce_?” Ganon approached him, holding back a smirk when he noticed that the attendant scurried a few steps away from him. When he realized that he wasn’t about to tell him anything, Ganon let out a defeated sigh, “I promise to leave after you tell me but I need to know what that symbol means.” That seemed to convince the attendant who collected himself for what was sure to be a lengthy explanation.

“As you probably know, Hyrule was created by the three goddesses, Farore, Din, and Nayru. The Triforce is a symbol of their power, essentially a remnant that they left behind after they created Hyrule. The top triangle represents Din, the goddess of power, the lower left represents Nayru, the goddess of wisdom, and the last one represents Farore, the goddess of courage.” So the piece that he had was the Triforce of Power… What did _that_ mean though? “The Triforce brought peace and balance to Hyrule… for a time. Then wicked men began to covet the power that the Triforce brought and started wars in order to control it. For the sake of returning peace to Hyrule, the Triforce was split into three pieces and embedded into three people who embodied their respective parts. But rumor has it that should these three pieces be reunited, the holder of the Triforce is granted a wish, no matter how good or evil that wish is.”

Ganon had to ask, “So where are the pieces now?”

“No one knows,” the attendant said with a shake of his head. “They were probably lost to time itself. It’s been at least a thousand years since the last time the Triforce pieces were warred for and peace has remained in Hyrule for that same length of time.” The Gerudo could hardly imagine that one of those very pieces was embedded into the back of his hand. He was left with more questions than answers, many of which he suspected that this old man could not answer for him. “Now, if there are no more questions…” The attendant was eager to have him gone.

“Oh, of course. Yes. Thank you, old man.” Ganon strode past him, keeping the Triforce piece hidden from view as the attendant went to call in the next person.

~~~*~~~

“Can you believe this, Hades?” Ganon asked his horse as they walked together in the sun-lit tunnel of trees, Hades’ reins were gripped firmly in his left hand while he looked at the gently pulsating symbol on his right. “A piece of the Triforce! That’s one hell of a destiny, don’t you think?” His horse gave no reply. “… But what am I supposed to do with thi-” Ganon whipped around suddenly, frozen in his tracks. He could have sworn someone was behind them, laughing, but when he looked, there was nothing but trees and the temple behind him. “What the…?” He became increasingly wary as he continued to walk, gaze forward. His grip on the reins tightened as if for security.

He thought about what his destiny had said – Western sands? That meant the Gerudo desert did it not? Was he meant to return home? But what was there for him there but misery and an almost certain death? So many questions filled Ganon’s head that he began to feel light-headed and dizzy, stumbling over his feet and lightly bumped against Hades. “Sorry,” he muttered softly as Ganon shook his head in an attempt to recollect himself and his thoughts.

‘The prodigal son’, did that refer to him? He knew that the Hylian forest was not his home and he supposed that if the Gerudo desert was really his home, he was a long ways from it. And a king!? Was that a thing in Gerudo culture? Did they really have royal families like the rest of the races in Hyrule? That was the first time he had ever heard of such a thing.

Ganon groaned as he held his hand to his head. “Ugh, hold on…” He murmured as he stopped their pace. Maybe it was from waking up so damn early this morning but he really didn’t feel well. Even when he closed his eyes, everything around him still felt as though it were spinning faster and faster. Hades screamed, reins slipping from his grip as he fell to the ground and blacked out.

~~~*~~~

When his eyes opened again, Ganon found himself not on the hard dirt path but upright and bleary. His surroundings were so much brighter and the air so much fresher than the tunnel of trees. His vision returned to him, blotches of blue and green visible then outlines of trees and mountains formed before finally the Gerudo knew what he was looking at - Hyrule in all of its fertile glory. His brows knitted in confusion. Wasn’t he just in the Hylian forest a few seconds ago? How did he get here? And where was-

He looked down at the steed between his legs and horror seeped into him when he realized it was not Hades but a completely different destrier beneath him. “Hades!? Hades!” He called out for his companion as he quickly dismounted and ran over to the cliff edge to get a better look around.

_“You have nothing to fear, boy,”_ a voice called out, low and lulling. The young Gerudo tensed and whipped around, finding nothing… but the presence felt… _Familiar_. The voice chuckled, something felt within Ganon’s soul rather than heard. _“You have great things ahead of you, you know. You are the chosen one.”_

“That would be good news,” Ganon started, “if I had _any_ idea what that meant!” He felt as though he were going insane - yelling at a disembodied voice, stuck in a place far from home without his horse… “What is going on!? Where am I? What is this?” He called out to the open sky, not understanding what he was looking at.

_“Ah, the herald knows not his origins. That is fine, all will be revealed to you in due time.”_ Why did he think to trust that the voice would give him the answers he sought on a silver platter? _“Look around you, boy. Look at the prosperity that Hyrule possesses. This land knows no hunger, no war, no strife,”_ the voice hissed. _“Know that this can and will be all yours to claim for your people. Lead them out of the desert and let them know prosperity!”_

Suddenly there was a loud roar behind him, an army of beautiful bronze women who were ready to follow his lead. All of them had long fiery hair like his own and passionate golden eyes. They cheered their commander’s approach as he looked at the army, _his_ army. Pride welled within Ganon from his sense of belonging. Home. _This_ was where he belonged, not with the toe-headed Hylians who had never accepted who he was. Ganon’s golden eyes slowly shut as he listened to the cries of his people.

_“This is all yours. All you have to do is take that first step,”_ the voice resounded over the unified voice of the Gerudo. _“You know what you need to do.”_

~~~*~~~

Ganon’s eyes snapped open and jolted upright from the hard ground, spooking Hades. “The desert,” he whispered softly, his eyes blown open and mouth slightly agape in awe. Though he was no less confused, at least the vision had granted him a starting point. Is that what he had been missing out all these years? Happiness filled him when he thought about going home to the glorious Gerudo tribe.

His quiet moment of revelation was disturbed by his miffed horse who nipped at Ganon’s hair. “Hey, what-?” Hades hoofed the ground, whinnying expectantly for an apology from his rider. “Oh, Hades… Thank the goddesses.” Ganon looked around, realizing that he was still on the ground in the shady path. The area felt still and quiet, wondering if anyone had passed him by during his blackout and just left him there. No matter, Ganon pushed the thought out of his head quickly as he rose to his feet. “You have no idea how relieved I am to see you again.” It almost felt wrong to have been riding another horse and in an attempt to alleviate the perversion, Ganon hoisted himself up into the saddle. “Let’s go.”

The sun had almost set and though lanterns would light the path back to Teragos, Ganon decided that perhaps it would just be best to wait in Kakariko and surprise his friend the next morning when he was due to arrive. Until then, he would have to take a room from one of the inns in the Kakariko market square. The sunset cast a warm glow on the marketplace, merchants closing up shop for the night and food stall vendors beckoning potential customers to fill their empty bellies. But it was not the calls that summoned him, it was all that _food_! Exotic foods from all over Hyrule bombarded his olfactory senses - Zoras served hearty bowls of spiced fish stew, large chunks of fish and strips of seaweed floated in the aromatic mixture, Gorons peddled a delicacy they liked to call rock sirloin to mostly Goron patrons but it seemed that they had other menu options such as grilled lizard and spicy bomb flower tea. But it was the sizzle of meat on a grill that caught Ganon’s attention. He had always been a sucker for the succulent cuts of meat Link would give him on occasion from Talorin’s farm and now that he had a chance to eat a dish prepared by a more skilled cook, Ganon’s feet began to move on their own as he approached the meat bowl stall. So lost he was in his reverie that he failed to notice the group of teenaged Hylians that made their way towards him.

The largest one bumped into Ganon, exaggerating his fall into one of his mates. “Watch it, you fuckin’ Gerudo!” he spat as his mate helped him back onto his feet. “What the hell are you doing in town anyway? Shouldn’t you be back out in your wasteland of a desert!?” Though he was sure the teen had tried his best, Ganon had hardly budged from their collision but the other’s words had stunned him into silence. Silent stares he could deal with - he had lived with them all of his life. But this? No one back in Teragos had the nerve to even talk to him let alone talk to him like this. “What’s the matter? Can’t… speak… Hylian?” The teen dragged out his speech before he threw his head back in a guffaw as the rest of his gang joined in his high-pitched laughter.

_‘Ignore them. They’re just a bunch of kids. What do they know?’_ Ganon remained silent as the group continued to jeer at him and his supposedly low intelligence. Perhaps what was more infuriating was that the patrons around them declined to step in to berate the teens and moreover, some of them were chuckling into their bowls of food and reveling in his suffering.

_“A king would not tolerate this behavior,”_ the voice echoed in his mind as the teens walked away laughing. _“Show them what a king does to those who dare mock him.”_ Before he could even think, his body reacted and swung his fist against the back of the teen’s head, his Triforce glowing as he did so. Everything moved in slow motion - the teen he had hit fell to the ground, out cold, and the rest of them turned angrily with their own fists but Ganon was too fast for them all, letting out a slow breath. Everything he had trained for, he felt, had led up to this moment.

He dodged a punch and threw his own right into the fat one’s gut, sending him flying with his spit and blood following after him. He turned his attention to the next one, a fairly lanky and unfortunately ugly teen, picking him up and flung him into a food stall as though he were a sack of oats. The teen’s screams echoed into the twilight as the pot of scalding soup splashed all over his body. Ganon had perfect control over everything in the fight and it felt good. So much better than fighting those mindless octoroks and peahats out in the field. Not even the clatter of armor broke his concentration as a ring of guards formed around him, spears at the ready.

“You’ll stop this, boy! Just come with us quietly and spend a night in jail-” A guard told him, spear pointed right at his chest. He was surrounded and yet an incredible calm came over him. “I am no boy,” Ganon replied calmly as two guards approached him on either side to apprehend him. He whistled to Hades who came barreling through the barricade of guards to deliver the dual blades attached to his saddle. Immediately extracting one, he buried it deep into the guard’s chest before removing it with one smooth motion letting the guard fall over into a silent heap. The rest closed in, Ganon whipped around and sliced into another’s throat, blood gurgling up as he fell to the ground, while he brought down his other blade, slicing through a guard’s armor.

Never before did he feel so alive, so powerful! A wicked grin spread across his lips as he dispatched the rest of the guards, blood splashing everywhere. The sight of blood on his blades was pure beauty and the taste of it was a delicacy like he had never tasted before. But as the adrenaline began to fade, the beauty and the wonder went with it. He stared in horror at his blood soaked hands, throwing his blades down with a clatter as he backed away from them. “No… No… I didn’t…” Ganon murmured under his breath, his eyes wide. He fell backwards with a cry and when he realized just what it was he tripped on, he scrambled away. The lifeless eyes of a slain guard stared right back at him, lying in a puddle of his own blood. “Oh goddesses… Why did I-” The sound of armor clashing sounded so far away in his dazed state but luckily, the whinnying of his horse brought him back to his senses if only for a moment. He quickly jumped to his feet and met his trotting horse in the middle. He needed to get out of here and fast. The reinforcements were on their way and he stuck out like a sore thumb. All of the patrons who had evacuated the square would live to tell the tale about the rampaging Gerudo who single-handedly took down a small squadron of guards. “C’mon, Hades. We aren’t staying here tonight. We gotta get out of here,” he murmured softly to his horse and as those he understood, Hades set a hard pace himself while his rider tried not to retch from the stench of blood that now stained him.


End file.
